Tag Archives: survival

My Wife Dropped me at the Mexican Border – Yuma County Backpacking

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3 Days of Desert Camping and Backpacking in Yuma County Arizona.

For this backpacking trip, I headed even farther south to a remote corner of Arizona not too far from border with with Mexico in an area known as the Kofa Wilderness.

For sleep and shelter I brought an ultralight trekking pole tent, 3-season inflatable sleeping pad, and a 40 degree sleeping bag, as the forecasted temperature range for this December adventure would range fro highs in the eighties down to as low as the upper 30’s depending on wind conditions and where I chose to set up camp in the vast array of mountains and valleys found in this corner of the American Southwest.

My choices for camping food on this backpacking trip would be pretty simple – mostly because there are no reliable water sources in this desolate sampling of the Sonoran Desert. Since I would have to pack in and carry all of my own drinking water from the start, there was little reason to spend money and effort on traditional dehydrated backpacking meals.

Instead I chose to hit the local dollar store for some calorie dense, if not nutritionally diminished, food sources. The end result? 3 days worth of calories for under twenty bucks, and no water or stove required. …there will plenty of opportunities to eat salad back in civilization. If I manage to get back there…

Trailhead Used:
King Road Access, 1/4 mile north of Yuma Customs Checkpoint on AZ Rt 95

Trails Used, Day 1

  • Horse Tanks Jeep Trail
  • None

Trails Used, Day 2

  • None
  • Random animal trail (?)
  • None

Trails Used, Day 3

  • None
  • Kofa Horse Tanks
  • None
  • King Road

 

 

Military Surplus Camping Pt 2 – Finding the B-47 Crash Wing

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Hiking & Backpacking with Military Surplus Camping Gear in the Adirondacks Eastern High Peaks Region

For this 2 day, 1 night adventure, I’ll be returning to Wright Peak to continue my search for the B-47 wing. I’ll be using the same milsurp backpacking load-out (with some additional cold weather gear), along with MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) food to keep me fueled up while I search for the remnants of a cold war era B-47 bomber that crashed on Wright Peak during the night of January 2nd, 1962.

If you haven’t already seen Part One, where I explored the summit impact zone, you can check that out here.

My “big 3” for this backpacking trip are a medium sized ALICE pack, USGI Modular Sleeping bag with USGI Term-A-Rest sleeping Pad, and a USGI Poncho for shelter / rain gear. I scored each of these items for around $30.  A gear list can be found at the end of this post.

No permit is required to camp in the Adirondacks, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information here.

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Military Surplus Camping – B-47 Crash Site – Adirondack Mountains

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Hiking & Backpacking with Military Surplus Camping Gear in the Adirondacks Eastern High Peaks Region

For this 2 day, 1 night adventure, I’ll be testing out and demonstrating my milsurp backpacking load-out, along with MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) food to keep me fueled up while I search for the remnants of a cold war era B-47 bomber that crashed on Wright Peak during the night of January 2nd, 1962.

My “big 3” for this backpacking trip are a medium sized ALICE pack, USGI Modular Sleeping bag with USGI Term-A-Rest sleeping Pad, and a USGI Poncho for shelter / rain gear. I scored each of these items for around $30.  A full gear list can be found at the end of this post.

No permit is required to camp in the Adirondacks, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information here.

Continue reading →

Winter Camping with a Pulk Sled – Adirondacks Deep Snow & Icy Summits

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Join us for 2 days of winter camping, backpacking & snowshoeing with a pulk sled in the deep snow of the Adirondack mountains.

For this winter camping adventure, we’ll be using a DIY pulk sled to setup up a base camp in the Giant Mountain Wilderness.  Day one will be dedicated to building camp and settling in, followed by a summit attempt of Giant Mountain on day two.

Our winter pulk sled will be used for group items such as campfire cooking gear, stoves, steaks and other food, additional firewood, our tent, etc.  In addition to the sled, Mike, Frank and myself each have a backpack for personal items such as cold weather clothing options and other gear. A list of notable gear can be found at the end of this post.

Route Overview – Roaring Brook to Giant Mt – Sintax77

No permit is required to camp in the Giant mountain wilderness, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information on the Adirondacks Park Giant Mountain Wilderness website here.

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded on my Trip Data Page.

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Steripen UltraLight Water Purifier – Overview , Operation, Myths & Tips

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A look at the American Red Cross Steripen UltraLight UV Water Purifier for Backpacking, Camping & Survival. 

The Steripen UltraLight is a compact, lightweight alternative to more traditional camping & backpacking water filters.  Instead of using a filter, the Steripen uses ultraviolet light to kill any bacteria, cysts and other harmful microorganisms.  Unlike most backpacking & survival water filters, Steripen also eliminates viruses.

In this video, we’ll go over the pros and cons of the Steripen UltraLight, versus traditional filter based water purification systems.  I’ll also demonstrate how to use a Steripen, frequently asked questions, water bottle options, common myths and concerns, and what the various indicator lights mean.

Specs and Features, as per the Manufacturer

  • SteriPEN ultra-violet lamp destroys over 99.9% of bacteria, viruses and protozoa
  • American red cross ultralight UV purifier quickly purifies 1.0L of water in only 90 seconds.
  • Easy to use, one-button operation provides 8,000 treatments producing up to 8,000 liters of purified water
  • Compact, lightweight at only 2.6 oz
  • American red cross ultralight UV purifier can be recharged using its USB port

Other Gear Seen

Affordable Water Filter for the Apocalypse or Backpacking – Etekcity Survival Purifier

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A review of the Etekcity Water Filter for backpacking, camping, or urban survival. 

The Etekcity Personal Water Purifier is a complete system containing all the components needed to start filtering clean drinking water.  A small backflushing syringe is included as well for periodic maintenance of the water filter.  In this video I’ll go over the specifications, operation, and maintenance routine for the filter.

It has a three stage filtration system (pre-filter, activated carbon filter, and hollow fiber UF membrane) making it worth a look for anyone in the market for an inexpensive urban survival filter to keep on hand or tucked in their bug out bag.  For traditional backpackers and campers, such as myself, it’s small size and light weight make it an interesting option for part of an ultralight backpacking load-out.

As seen in the video, it can be used by attaching to the included dirty water bag and squeezed into the water storage option of your choice, or you drink directly out of the water source.  This ccan be achieved by either dipping the end of the filter directly into the water, or by using the included length of 1/4″ tubing to get a bit for reach.  Speaking of the tubing though, it should be pointed out that the filter only has a 1/4″ nipple on the dirty water side.  There isn’t a hookup on the clean side, so if you’re looking to use this filter in a gravity filter configuration, that’s something to keep in mind.

I also found that the threads match up great with Smart Water bottles, so they can be used as a dirty water reservoir as well.  If you’re using other brands, make sure to check the threads for match before heading out, as the other brand of water bottle I tested it with did not properly screw onto the filter body.

One thing that remains to be seen is how often the filter needs to be backflushed after continued use out in the field.  This is the main reason I switched from the Sawyer Mini back to the original Sawyer Squeeze.  Only time will tell if the Etekcity filter  will suffer the same fate, but the flow rates during initial testing have been quite nice, and sucking water through it while using it like a straw was very easy.

Features and Specs, as per the manufacturer:

  • SAFETY TESTED: This water purifier has been tasted by the TÜV SÜD Institute and the sleeve of the water filter complies with FDA Food Contact test in accordance with 21 CFR 180.22 to ensure maximum quality and safety.
  • HOLLOW FIBER UF MEMBRANE and antibacterial carbon filter cleans to 0.01 Microns, eliminating 99.9999% of colibacillus, legionella, heavy metal ions, chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOC), organic and insect contaminant.
  • FILTER MORE: This filter will provide up to 1500 liters or almost 400 gallons of safe drinking water.
  • HYDRATION RESERVOIR COMPATIBLE: attach the Etekcity Personal Water Purifier to most hydration reservoirs for increased water carrying capacity and convenience.
  • INCLUDED ACCESSORIES: A foldable water pouch, extension tube, pre-filter, and backwash device are all included at no extra cost. Carry water with you, reach further to get water without strain or danger, get extra filtration, and keep the filter clean and clog-free.